Imagine what it’s like to tie the knot with someone you’ve never met. Or give birth to a child, talk to him and not know what his pretty face looks like. Imagine how sad it is to live in a world full of different things that cannot be seen.
This is the reality of a man named Gene Purdie who was born with Stargardt’s disease. This disease affects the retina, and the patient can see only the slight outlines of objects, nothing more.
Jin was officially diagnosed only at the age of 16. Then he met the love of his life, Joy, they got married and had a son, Lincoln.
Jin was quite happy. His only problem was that he never saw what his wife and son looked like.
One day, Joy was watching a TV show with a woman with Stargardt’s disease as a guest.
The hosts of the programs helped her to see her sister, whom she had not seen for over 10 years! They provided the woman with eSight, a revolutionary eyeglass that allows visually impaired people to see the world again.
Upon seeing the release of the show, Joy was amazed. She wrote a letter to the broadcasters, hoping that Gene would be given the same opportunity to see the world.
Joy’s request was heard, and the Purdy family was invited to the show in New York.
Jin was very nervous when the eSight was put on his head. When the glasses were on Jin’s eyes, viewers of the show didn’t know if the man saw anything or not. His face seemed to be petrified. Looking at his wife, he said: “She is beautiful.”
Then emotions swept over the whole family, and Jin, like a small child, looked around the whole world around.
The host of the program then announced that they were giving Jin $15,000 worth of glasses, and now he can see his wife and son every day! What a blessing that now he can see!
